GPSBUS

Let’s get together on this stuff, shall we folks? Congress can pass bailout legislation and top level issues like that, but are you depending on them to tell you how to execute your own jobs and do what is needed in today’s world? What happened to American ingenuity and self-reliance? Look at this idiotic article. The MTA contradicts themselves within three paragraphs of each other.

You are a transit authority. Your job is … or should be … to get people on buses. Business is up, and up sharply. So in response do you expand and take advantage of the new business or do you respond to ‘good news’ for your business by cutting back? I can’t get my head around this…..

MTA to cut commuter bus routes
The Maryland Transit Administration is proposing to eliminate six commuter bus routes, reduce the number of rides on others and cut back on its increasingly popular MARC train service as a result of severe revenue shortfalls, the O’Malley administration announced yesterday…..

Commuter bus lines have been among the fastest-growing forms of transit use as long-distance commuters have left their cars in park-and-ride lots to save on expensive gasoline and parking. MARC train service, including that on two lines linking Baltimore and Washington, has also attracted a growing number of riders in recent years…

Now in contrast, what could the Maryland Transit Administration be doing? Isn’t this the time to be looking at ways of getting people on busses rather than forcing them off?

Transit authority bus routes expand, free Saturday rides planned
Friday, October 17, 2008
Southeast Missourian

Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority is expanding its bus route and 30-minute service.

The Cape Girardeau County Transit Authority will debut an expanded bus route and 30-minute service Oct. 27. Tom Mogelnicki, the transit authority’s executive director, unveiled the plan during the board of directors quarterly meeting Thursday….

As I have said before, it seems as if more and more transit authorities are interested in decreasing ridership and profit and putting themselves out of business. Is this the smart way to operate, especially considering today’s global economy?

Mega-kudos to Cape Girardeau … they ‘have the bubble’.

Grades released for NYC’s transit system

NEW YORK – Riders are lukewarm about New York City’s bus service: They’re giving it a grade of "C"-minus.
Transit officials have released the results of the Local Bus Rider Report Cards that were distributed throughout the five boroughs.
The report cards asked riders to rate the system based on such characteristics as "reasonable wait time between buses," "seat availability," and "smooth handling of bus."
Only Manhattan rated higher than any other borough with a C.

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On The Net:
MTA: http://ww.mta.info

Such a contrast between this article and some of my recent ones on cities like Seattle where keeping the riders happy (and informed) is a top priority.  In New York, you get what you get ad you should be happy you don’t get less … that’s been the attitude since I was a boy, and I don’t see it changing.

Perhaps the NYC MTA should read this blog more often and start adding features to their busses that people want … like a GPS arrival system, perhaps?  Naw.  It’s New York.  Who cares if the customer gives us a failing grade, we want a pay raise.